Whispers in the Womb
This place, which has been my home all this while, is about to be mine for just a little longer. Ma is the gentlest person I’d have ever come across. Her soft caress, sweet lullabies, and the jingle of her bangles will forever be a part of me.
Even though I haven’t spoken to her yet, somehow she knows what I want. Just the other day, I craved something tangy, and she gave me the most delicious pani puri. She fulfills all my teeny-tiny desires without me even telling her. But does she know my greatest, deepest desire?
For the first few months, gentle voices, hearty laughter, and soothing hymns surrounded me. People were waiting to see me, hold me, and hear me babble. Ma was the most excited of all. Her days began and ended with words of gratitude. When she prayed, I prayed too.
And then something shifted.
The voices that once filled the air with joy became harsh and distant. Papa’s hurtful words pierced the walls of my room. And when his palm landed on her with a sharp sting, every part of me shuddered. Though my voice was too small to reach her, every time he hurt us, I whispered, “Ma, don’t cry.”
Last night was the worst. Ma wailed when he screamed, “Get rid of this girl, or else…”
He doesn’t want me?
He doesn’t want me because I’m a girl!
Her whispers were thick with sorrow. “I failed you. I’m not fit to be a mother.”
The night grew longer, but finally, with him gone, it was just the two of us again. I kicked gleefully when I heard Ma’s voice. It was story time again! I listened to her soft words, before kicking hard. “Ma, these stories don’t have any animals or birds.” Her words—“Hospital, doctor, abortion”—made no sense. Soon, I drifted off into a deep slumber.
I wake to strange sounds around me—hurried steps, strained voices, suffocating smells. And then, everything becomes clear. I remember Ma’s words from last night. “Tomorrow you’ll be with the Gods. I’m really sorry, but this is for the best.”
She’s come to leave me with the Gods!
Her painful sobs tear at my heart. I want to hold her, but all I can do is whisper, “Ma, it’s not your fault.” Only if I were a boy, I could’ve been a part of her life.
I don’t know who the Gods are or how they’ll take me, but I know I’m about to be separated from Ma forever. I squirm, dreading the end, when I hear Ma’s voice again.
“Inspector, I want to file a case. My husband is forcing me to abort my daughter.”
I’m her daughter?!
Does that mean Ma’s not going to leave me with the Gods? I kick gleefully once again, “Ma, I’m going to be a part of your life!”
My home is still my home, still my world.
Ma does know my greatest, deepest desire.
(498 words excluding title)
“Whispers in the Womb” is my submission for the monthly writing event conducted by ArtoonsInn. This month’s prompt is “Full Circle – Write a story where the main character starts and ends in the same physical location.”
Image Credit – Jessyka Marques/ Pexels